Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Biotechnology set for boom: VC

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI, JUNE 18 . The next boom in the country will be in the field of biotechnology, which has high expectations among the people following the information technology's success, the Vice-Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University, P. K. Ponnuswamy, said here on Tuesday.

He said the changing trend had thrown a challenge to universities to make their biotechnology courses attractive and competitive.

Inaugurating a refresher course in biotechnology in the School of Biotechnology, Prof. Ponnuswamy said the universities should raise their standards.

"Unless varsities achieved it, talented students will choose technical and engineering institutions to pursue their studies in biotechnology," he cautioned.

The Vice-Chancellor said the potential of biotechnology was rightly understood by the Union Government as the outlay for Department of Biotechnology was increased to Rs.1,450 crores in the Tenth Five Year Plan from Rs.621 crores in the Ninth Plan.

The DBT, he said, was allocating a good share of funds for human resource development.

The Vice-Chancellor pointed out that despite government efforts, the Indian biotech industry was still in a nascent stage and accounted for only one per cent of the global market.

However, the country's share was expected to rise to 10 per cent in the next five years, he said, adding, "India needs trained experts to fulfil the expectations."

He said the market value of biotech products was estimated at Rs.9,000 crores in 2005 and the number of biotech industries was also expected to increase.

He stressed that experimental skills in modern areas of biotechnology for the teachers were important.

Prof. Ponnuswamy said knowledge-based technical manpower was recognised as India's distinct strength and that was exemplified by the country's outstanding success in information technology in the past decade.

K. Veluthambi, coordinator, School of Biotechnology, said the refresher course was for teachers of post-graduate courses supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. The course would be held for a month to enable teachers to impart quality training to students of biotechnology.

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